Jonathan Peyton and Abigail Peyton - How We’ve Come So Far (2025)

About a year ago, famed musician/producer/critic Rick Beato released a YouTube post stating that it has become “too easy” (in his words) to make music, lessening the overall quality of what we put into our ears. And while there may be (definitely IS) more bad music out there, the relative “ease” of independently produced music allows for more voices to be heard. I had this in mind when listening to this week’s releases, first Will Payne Harrison’s Still Feelin’ the Payne and, in today’s space, the latest record from Jonathan and Abigail Peyton. How We’ve Come So Far continues songwriter Jonathan Peyton’s ability to wrap personal trauma and hard-earned growth in beautiful melodies.

Jonathan Peyton’s previous record, 2024’s Nothing Here’s the Same, produced by Sadler Vaden, included some Americana luminaries (including Derry Deborja on keys and Luke Schneider on pedal steel), and dealt in no small measure with Peyton’s involvement with a religious cult. On How We’ve Come So Far, the Peytons elected to close the circle a bit, including promoting the album on their own, while penning very personal songs on mistakes and make-goods, addiction and recovery, love and friendship. The album’s lead track, “Walk It Out,” is a twangy rumination on neighborly-ness (or lack thereof) – “There you were, picking through the stones until you found the perfect one/Go you righteous man of God, go shame me for what I’ve done.” “No Time,” featuring gorgeous harmonies from the couple, deals with the reality that some relationships are better left in the past, even while emotions are still smoldering – “There’s a part of me that still wants to believe/There’s a time for everything, there’s just no time for you and me.”

Jonathan and Abigail share top billing on How We’ve Come So Far, and tracks like “Glad That You’re Home” display the closeness that only they can bring to their songs. The couple trades verses on the acoustic ballad, which portrays easy companionship on the hardest of days. From “the bills that fell down on the floor” to “The smell on her breath/Those tall tales that she told,” this couple is prepared to push through the worst of it. “I Want That for You,” written with and featuring vocals from Brian Elmquist of The Lone Bellow, along with lovely pedal steel from Isaac Geroge, deals with addiction head-on – “Is this the last time/You’re finally getting sober?/I’m just getting over the last time.” And the pensive “Now That You’re Sober,” pairing acoustic and baritone guitar, views past addiction through a hazy wistfulness – “It’s different now that you’re sober/Those days are done, and now I’m getting older.” Even though we (hopefully) mature into what’s good for us, sometimes we miss our younger, dumber selves. Growing up is hard work, but the rewards, for the Peytons, are worth it.

Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Taking Shelter” – Urgency is reflected in both the burbling, building guitars and banjo and Jonathan’s lyrics – “The devil’s crawling through the walls again/I thought I’d patched the holes where he had been.”